How to shop at Forever 21 when you’re over 30

May 30, 2017

I used to hate on Forever 21 for being a provider of disposable fashion but I believe if you shop smart you can find pieces that will last you years. Case in point: I’ve had the same army jacket from Forever 21 for about 6 years now! I have a list of tips plus my favourite items to shop for at Forever 21 right now! A few of these are from my latest haul video so click here to see them in the wild (and on a non-model).

Find the links to these items (and other cute finds) in the “Shop this Post” below!

BEST items to buy at Forever 21:

Light Jackets (Denim, trenches, anything cotton). I just left behind, in great sadness because it’s not in my budget this month, the nicest short cotton green trench coat. It is made of a really nice thick cotton and the seams on the inside are finished with binding so it looks more expensive than it is. (See shop the post in the slider at the bottom of this post)
Cotton tops. Cotton shirts, especially off the shoulder styles, are super popular this season so you’ll find tons of options!
Beach wear (treat everything sheer like it’s for the beach).
Sunglasses. My sunglasses and necklaces always get pulled on, thrown, etc. by my kids so until they’re older I’m going to use cheaper ones. I also lose my sunglasses at every cottage or beach vacation so it’s less heartbreaking when you only paid $10 for them.
Fun cosmetics/accessories/travel essentials. This is a great place to find CUTE makeup bags, purse essentials like the compact brush above and travel containers.
Uncomplicated purses. I have the black ring bag in the image above and I use it allllll the time! If you’ve seen my vlogs it’s the bag I usually use for date night. I also styled in a recent post HERE. Forever 21 have a surprising selection of cute trendy bags that work for any occasion.

AVOID these at Forever 21:

Polyester tops and blouses.
Jeans. There seems to be a disconnect between the quality of the denim jackets versus the quality of the jeans. I find the majority of the jeans really thin and because we are so hard on our denim they just don’t last long.
Shorts. They will almost ALWAYS be too short from this store.
Knits and sweaters. I think we’ve all had that sweater that pills or loses shape or somehow feels like cardboard after one wash. This is a better item to invest more money into.
Sale items that don’t fit. This is a rule for shopping anywhere. It’s hard to ignore a deal but if it doesn’t fit leave it behind

Other Tips

Be mindful of the fabric. I avoid polyester when I shop. It’s hard because there are so many cute items and they wear well and don’t wrinkle but they don’t last me through the summer because they’re too hot. They also capture odour so if you wear them multiple times and sweat in them (every wear for me). I think there’s a place for polyester and it’s in tank tops with spaghetti straps so they don’t hold your stink or in cardigan/kimono styles that would wear for spring and fall only so you wouldn’t sweat.
Ignore the stuff for the 13 year olds; try to go when teens aren’t there and look for more classic pieces. I found this amaaaaazing striped sweatshirt, 100% cotton and it has side slits in the sleeves which is my favourite part. I love when a classic item has a great detail.
It’s just a size! I range from a size XS to a L and a size 2 to an 8 depending on the store and item so ignore that silly tag and find the size that works for you.